Training (Second Update)

Although Xio was full of doubts, she did not voice them. She had a feeling that even if Abner knew the answers, he would not tell her yet.

Besides, if Abner really understood everything, then he naturally had his reasons for choosing to keep it hidden for now. When it came to friends, Xio had enough trust and patience to wait.

"And once our friendship deepens, I can also fish for clues indirectly and investigate them myself!"

Abner had no idea what Xio was thinking. After following her to the shooting range in the backyard, he asked curiously, "Is it true that an Evil Spirit is haunting this place, since the wealthy merchants who bought it kept meeting with accidents?" He did not yet have Spirit Vision. Unless he took the time to perform a ritual, he could not see spirit bodies.

"Since the wealthy merchants who moved in one after another had different beliefs, both the Nighthawks and the Mandated Punishers Squad came to investigate. I don't know what the Nighthawks found, but the Mandated Punishers Squad once fought a very powerful Beyonder nearby. One of their members was severely injured because of it! Recently, the Mandated Punishers have been causing trouble for several gangs in the East Borough. I heard it was because that badly injured member seemed to have been killed by someone from a gang in the end..." Xio answered after thinking for a moment.

Abner's heart stirred at that, and he thought, The Church of Storms seems to possess part of the Reader Potion formula. Could the Beyonder Characteristic the original owner picked up have belonged to that unlucky fellow who was badly injured? But how did he drag himself from the North Borough back to the Bridge Borough with such serious injuries? He couldn't have taken the subway...

"Then... is this place safe now?" Abner unconsciously looked around, afraid that the Mandated Punishers Squad would rush out and pin him to the ground. After all, he was now a believer of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. In the Tyrant's eyes, he was unquestionably a cultist.

"Don't worry. This place should have been thoroughly purified. The authorities stopped watching it long ago, and nothing happened when I came here several times before. Old Todd also told me that no one has come to investigate in a long time. Oh, Old Todd is the servant I mentioned before who watches the house. He can't speak or write, but he knows some sign language." Xio assured him confidently.

Hearing that, Abner relaxed for the time being. He also figured it out then: he was only here to borrow the shooting range for practice, and he would not be using any Beyonder Abilities. Even if the authorities saw him, they probably would not pay much attention. Two young men and women sneaking into someone else's shooting range to practice shooting was perfectly normal! It just sounded a little strange.

Next, Xio did not waste any time. She explained the techniques for using firearms, the various precautions, and exactly how to train in order to quickly master shooting.

Only after carefully listening to all that did Abner grip the gun with both hands, sharply raise it straight ahead, and aim at the target ten meters away. He did not rush to pull the trigger. Instead, following Xio's instructions, he repeatedly practiced aiming and the proper grip.

From time to time, Xio corrected his stance, tapping the uncoordinated parts of his arms. Her youthful face was full of Majesty.

After around ten minutes, Xio finally nodded in satisfaction and allowed Abner to move on to the next stage of training.

Abner rested for a while first, rubbing his sore arms. Then he picked up his silver revolver again, stepped into the firing position, assumed the standard posture, and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

His arm trembled, his body leaned back slightly, and the bullet missed the target.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Having learned from the experience, he fired one shot after another, feeling his way through practice until all six bullets had been fired. These were practice rounds, provided by Miss Xio.

"Not bad, you're starting to hit the target!" After watching for a while, Xio praised him. "You have a good feel for shooting. Practice a few more times and you'll reach the average standard at Sivellaus Yard."

Hearing the praise, Abner did not feel proud at all. Only one out of six shots had hit the target. In a real fight, he would probably already be dead.

After using up all the practice rounds, Abner finally reached a stable level of hitting the target. One shot even landed within the eighth ring!

At that point, the training entered its next phase: combat.

Xio took the initiative to suggest sparring with Abner to determine his current level. Then, as expected, only half a minute later, Abner was slammed hard onto the ground for the third time and could not get up for a long while.

"Miss Xio isn't very tall, but she's incredibly strong... Is that the boost from the Arbiter Potion?" Abner wondered wildly as he rubbed his aching back.

"Abner, your physical foundation is actually quite good. Your strength and reactions are outstanding among ordinary people. I can tell you used to exercise diligently. But you have no fighting experience. You can't even bring out thirty to forty percent of your strength, otherwise I wouldn't have defeated you so easily." Xio gave him a very fair assessment.

Abner was quite surprised by that, because the original owner's memories contained nothing about physical training, and the Reader at Sequence 9 did not enhance physical fitness either...

"So that cheat actually improved my physique as well? It just didn't reach a supernatural level, so I never noticed before..." Abner pondered this, but did not dwell on it too much. No matter what, it was a good thing.

"With your current level, I can directly teach you combat techniques. Also, you need to keep up your previous strength training... Hmm, I'll teach you knight training methods. They should be more effective than what you did before." After saying that, Xio began breaking down and explaining various fighting moves and training methods, having Abner follow along.

Through the teaching and learning, Abner improved rapidly. By the time it was eleven thirty in the morning, he could barely exchange one or two moves with Xio.

Since he still needed to go to Detective Isengard's home in the afternoon to study mysticism, the two prepared to head back to the city after tidying up the shooting range they had messed up.

Before leaving, Xio looked at his back and hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Abner, there's something I'd like to hear your opinion on."

"What is it?" Abner turned around and asked curiously.

"I... I want to investigate the truth behind a court Earl's treason case. Where do you think I should start?" Xio pursed her lips and gathered her courage to ask.

Abner immediately realized she was referring to her father's case. He had not wanted to meddle anymore, because after joining the Tarot Club, Xio would learn the truth sooner or later. But then it occurred to him that, because of his presence and activity, Xio probably would not be arrested and imprisoned for injuring someone... In that case, Fors might never get to know Miss Audrey, and they would lose their chance to join the Tarot Club...

That meant the sins caused by his Butterfly effect were probably even greater. If Xio did not join the Tarot Club, she might never uncover the truth in her entire life. And Fors would most likely truly become dried salted fish during some Full Moon or Blood Moon!

Thinking of that, Abner felt somewhat panicked. He was not panicking because he had changed the so-called plot—that did not matter... He was panicking because his actions might have harmed two kind and innocent young ladies, leading them away from their originally bright futures!

No! I have to restore their connection to the Tarot Club! With that thought, Abner made his decision at once. After pondering for a moment, he said to Xio, "Only true nobles probably know the secrets of the court. I think you should start from that angle."

"Nobles... But with my current status, I can't get acquainted with nobles of any standing... much less have them tell me the truth." Xio frowned, sounding troubled.

"When you first start making contact, you don't necessarily need to seek out major nobles themselves. You can interact with their children instead! I heard that many young masters and ladies from noble families are fascinated by mysticism. That's a breakthrough point! If you have a friend who is somewhat well-known in a certain field, it will be easier to cross paths with those young masters and ladies. Once you establish contact, don't start by asking about an Earl's treason case. First, use mysticism knowledge to exchange for some simple information or items. Once you become friends, choose someone reliable and ask about matters involving secrets." Abner patiently guided her.

At the mention of a friend somewhat well-known in a certain field, Fors's figure immediately appeared in Xio's mind. But when she thought of Fors's lazy personality, her head began to ache again. She had no idea how to persuade Fors to help her socialize. Xio knew herself well enough to understand that, unless she happened to be exceptionally compatible with a few of them, trying to connect with nobles on her own would be far too difficult.

Xio pushed aside her chaotic thoughts. She deeply felt that Abner's words were certainly purposeful, so she asked expectantly, "Then do you have any noble candidates you would recommend for a first contact?"

"Viscount Glaint! His character is fairly decent, and his family status is neither too high nor too low. He's very suitable for a first contact." Without hesitation, Abner gave her the name of the viscount whom Fors had contacted in the novel. He had initially wanted to mention Audrey directly, but Earl Hall's daughter held too high a position. Xio and Fors could not reach her in a short time, so it would be better to use this viscount as a stepping stone.

"Viscount Glaint..." Xio knew of him, but just as Abner had said, his status was not particularly high. He had also inherited his title at a young age, so he probably would not know the secrets of the court Earl's treason case... Then was he really just a stepping stone?

In the end, Xio still trusted Abner and decided that once she returned, she would ask Fors for help.

As the two figures disappeared through the back door of the shooting range, ripples suddenly stirred across the glass of a window in a bedroom on the second floor of the manor. Then it transformed into a woman wearing a black court gown.

The woman had pale golden hair, azure eyes, and exquisite features, but her face was abnormally pale.

She wore a small black soft hat. It seemed that she found an illusory high-backed chair within the glass and sat down. With her left palm supporting her right elbow and her right hand propping up her cheek, she silently watched Abner and Xio move farther away from the manor...

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(End of Chapter)